The Mark of a Fallen Angel

30 - Part I: Pain

 
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You'd think by now I'd be used to these dreams. I'd get used to the fact that the dreams always occurred on the worst of days like Wednesday's and a Thursday like today.
 
But no, every time I think they couldn't get any worse my mind and body decides to put that theory out the running.
 
I was running. My feet were almost bleeding and I could feel the gravel scrape at my bare feet. My body was burning and my hands were burning with red and orange flames. I could hear the voices around me whispering in my ear; whispering continuous complaints, forms of abuse and negative thoughts.
 
Were they thoughts? I hadn't considered that fact until now.
 
But before I could consider it any further the voices seized and a ringing sounded through my ears. I'd stopped running and I was standing in a black room.
 
I looked down at myself to see the clothes I'd worn to bed. This is different...

A bright light ahead of me illuminated. My beating heart pounded against my ribcage as I realized I could actually control my body in this dream.
 
I walked toward the light and stopped when it started to get brighter.
 
My eyes widened as I saw a white haired woman step forward. I couldn't see her face as the light behind her was outlining her dark profile. Her wings stretched behind her as she outstretched a hand.
 
Am I dead?
 
"No," She said in the Devine Language. Her voice echoed through the room. "But you are ready."
 
"For what?" I replied in English.
 
"For your change." She whispered.
 
And that's when I felt it.
 
The hot burning flame started from the middle of my chest and coursed outward. My legs buckled out from beneath me. My arms, my legs, my head and my heart were burning with a horrible searing and excruciating pain.
 
A scream ripped from my chest to my throat and I was suddenly awake.
 
I opened my eyes and all I could see was red and black. The only sound I could hear was my heart pounding a mile a minute in my ears.
 
Another scream escaped my lips from sheer excruciating pain. It was horrible. Unbearable. My skin was on fire; my insides were burning as I rolled off my bed and onto the hard floor. I didn't even know I was on the floor until my hands clenched onto my small sized rug.
 
Hands came into my vision. I couldn't make out who's they were as all I could see was red and black.

I noticed their hands recoil away from me as if they had been burnt. Another involuntary shout of pain came from my lips.
 
Hot tears ran down my cheeks as the pain started worsen. I couldn't do this. They said it would hurt but this was too much. This feeling was horrible. I was sweating and my hair was sticking to my face.
 
My aching body was suddenly picked up from the ground. I struggled in their arms and stared at where their face should be.
 
Through the red and black haze, I could see the structure of my father's face. Some noises were sounding through my head. I heard the sirens of an ambulance and I heard those voices circling inside my head. Apart from those whispers, I could hear my father shouting at me and my mother's cries not far behind.
 
"What's going on?" I heard my mom say through a sob.
 
Everything was quickly blocked out but I heard an unfamiliar voice say, "Put her on the gurney!"
 
"Put her on the drip she's dehydrated."
 
"Her skin is literally on fire..." Someone whispered.
 
I tried to struggle but glove covered hands tried to restrain me. I screamed and everything went black. It wasn't a dream and neither was I unconscious. I could still hear the voices and shouts of my parents and paramedics.
 
Then the sound of my beating heart filled the voices and I couldn't hear anything. If anything, the burning in my veins was getting worse not better because of the drip.
 
My left hand sought out my right, looking for the drip that was inserted in my arm.
I ripped it out and didn't even notice the hands on me trying to stop me. The gurney was suddenly rolled out of the ambulance.
 
I blinked my eyes repeatedly and lifted my head to watch them rushing me around the E.R wing. Another wave of heat passed through me along with another shout of pain. My left hand was throbbing, I didn't feel in control at all.
 
"Doctor, her heart is going at 179 beats a minute." I heard in an urgent voice say as I rolled to a stop.
 
I felt a hand lightly touch my wrist but it was pulled back. "Her skin is burning."
 
Someone's hand held my head still and used a finger to open my eye and shine a light through it. The figure flashed the light repeatedly.
 
I heard the sound of strangled sobs and wondered whose it was. My head whipped around left and right and I realized it was me. I've never cried like this before.
 
As new tears rolled down my cheeks, my eyes started to burn. I squeezed my eyes shut and tilted my head back. Someone grabbed my head and kept it still but I moved it out of their grasp.
 
I couldn't do this.
 
"Alexis can you hear me?" I heard a man shout near my ear in all the chaos.
 
I nodded as best as I could.
 
"Can you tell me what's wrong with you?"
 
I shook my head. This is unexplainable. Even I know that this wasn't normal. Burning up at over 108 degrees is damn near impossible for a human body to sustain. I learnt that if the body goes over 103 degrees it's life threatening. And if it's 104, then brain death starts to occur...
 
I gasped. An explosion of heat shivered up and down my limbs.
 
I felt my body go limp but my mind was still open. The sound of my heart pounding in my ears had stopped and was now filled with a horrible ringing. My eyes involuntarily rolled backwards and I felt my head roll to the side.
 
I couldn't open my eyes or make myself breathe. The whispers in my head were louder and fiercer. Everything was black. I couldn't see anything.
 
The burning still moved its way up to my mind and resided there. I couldn't move my body. I couldn't feel my heart pounding. I couldn't breathe...
 
An electric charge started in the middle of my chest making my torso jump up. The attempt to start my non-beating heart failed. I couldn't be dead. How could I still feel the burning pain? How is my mind still functioning?
 
Death is a horrible thing.
 
And because my mind was still working, the thoughts of never seeing my family again made me want to cry. But the emotion was unfamiliar. My mind pondered on it but couldn't do it. I was lost.
 
There was another electric charge but it failed again. I was expecting another try to shock my heart but there was nothing. The ringing got worse and my mind raced.
 
And then there was Gabriel.
 
He still wasn't back from where he was... I didn't even get to say goodbye. I didn't get to say that I love him before he left. I wanted to feel his lips on mine again. To feel his love. To feel his embrace...
 
But then a spark of anger replaced everything.
 
Gabriel said he would be here for me.